Check-protecting device.



E. UCUMPAUGH.

CHECK PROTECTING DEVICE,

APPLICATION men mu 5,1914.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

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been found in practice that when the steel Tan STATES PATENT oFFIoE. i

EDMUND OCUMPAUGH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DEFIANCE MACHIDIE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CHECK-PROTECTING DEVICE,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND OCUMIAUGl-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check Protecting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,-and exact description.

This invention relatesto that class of devices known ascheck protectors, whose function is to so mark or cut checks that the amount or valuation of the check cannot-be readily raised.

In one class of devices to which this invention is applicable, it is customary to mark the check by forcibl bringing against one side thereof a kiiurlec ridged or otherwise figured, steel cutter, the other side of the check being backed by type bearing words or figures, or both, such, for example, as Not over five hundreddollars. It has platen or cutter'has been brought against the comparatively soft type a large number of times, the type become marked or cut with lines or kn'urlingscorresponding to those of the platen or cutter. his is not ob ec tionable, and in fact aids in the proper marking of cutting of the check paper, unless the cuts in the type become too'deep or fail to properly register with the cutting edges of the platen. When the platen is faced with either knurling, diagonalstraight lines, or other characters,or in fact with pai' allel straight lines running straight across the platen from front to back, it is important that the type shall. always be placed in substantially the same position under the platen in order. that the markings on the type, due to the cutting edges on the platen, shall always occur in thesame place; otherwise the 'type become disfigured and eventually destroyed. \Vhen the cutting lines run straight across the platen, and consequently straight around the type drum, the type becomes disfigured and eventually destroyed due to excessive hammering of the steel platen on the soft type and also due to cutting deeper atone edge of the type than at theother when the line of type 18 not properly centered under the plunger.

In another class of devices for mark ng checks and the like, to which this invention is applicable, the platen is made of rubber Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16,1915.

. Application filed July 8. 1914. Serial No. 849,643.

or other pliable material and the type are comparatively hard, and in still another class of machines both the type and the platen are made of steel orother hard material, the platen and type pach being ma chined or otherwise manufactured so that they have registering cuttingedges.

My invention is applicableto all of these' types of machines and in fact to any'type in which itis desirable that the type and platen shall always properly register or in which it is desirable that the force with which the platen may be brought against the type shall be limited.

One objectof my invention is to previ'int the platen from at any time coming 'into contact with the soft type with undue force and to prevent the platen from coming into contact with the type at all except when the type line is properly centered under the" platen. r

My invention also provides means for properly centering the type wheel under the platen in the operation of-thedevice.

Other features of my invention are'point-f ed out in'the following description and claims. i

' The preferred applicationof my invention is illustrated in the accompanying-drawing in whichi f1 Figure 1 is an end view of a checkj protecting device provided with" my invention;

asl

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same machine;

y invem the cutting face of which is illustrated in Fig. 3.

Rotatively mounted within the case, is :1

cylinder 5, about the surface of which are, a plurality of lines of type,- preferably spelling out the various amounts indicated on the rim of the hand-wheel 6, which is carried upon the same shaft 7 as that which carries the type wheel 5. Also secured to the shaft 7 and located one preferably at each end of the type wheel 5, are wheels 8, the circumf .nCQS of which are toothed, the number and spacing of, earn in the circumference corresponding to the rows of type on the drum 5. Secured within the casing,-

Ipreferably one at each end thereof, are

' locks having openings therein within which are carried the spring-pressed plungersll, only one of which is shown, These plungers are mounted in such position that the vsshapedlower ends 12 thereof are pressed into the valleys between consecutive teeth on the wheels 8 by the spr1ngs 9, While their upper ends register with a slot 1n the table. 7

' As thety cylinder 5 is rotated, in order 'to bring di erent lines of type into printing position below the platen 4, the plungers 11 are reciprocated in the-cylindrical open ings intheir carrying blocks 10, their action tending to stop the cylinder inany pnexof its printing positions. If the cylinder is not stopped in one'of its printing. positions, the upper ends of the plungers 11 are forced up against the underside of the check, their lengthsbeing such that when the cylinder is in any'other than a proper printing position, the ends of the platen'bar 4, beyond the cutting face thereof, will engage the check paper above'plungers 11, one at each,

end of the platen, and thus either prevent the platen from forcing the. paper into contact with the, type wheel at all or else will cause a line'of type to be properly centered before the cutting operation. By means of this arrangement the cutting platen is never permitted to strike a row of type in more than one position. This maintains a corresponding marking onthe face of and pre-' vents the destruction of the type. The plungers 11 also act as definite stops-for the platen, thus preventing it from being forced against the type with undue pressure e ther when a check is inserted or when the device is carelessly or roughly worked without the insertion of a check.

It is to be understood that my invention may be used in check writing or protecting machines in which there area plurality. of

wheels set side by side, and that a plurality of lungers, similar to 11, maybe located at difl ierent positions along the cutting platen, it being preferable, under these circumstances, to omit the knurling or cutting edges from the platen opposite, the points at which the plungers are located, and to provide the platen at these points with a smooth surface so that checks will not be damaged when the movement of the platen is stoppedby reason of the projection of one or. more of the plungers 11. I

Although I have illustrated'and described a particular embodiment otmy invention, I

do not Wish to be unduly limited thereto, many modifications and other applications of my invention being possible without de-' parting from the spirit or scope thereof.

I claim:

1 In a check-protecting machine, the combination with a rotatable type Wheel, of

and an integral part of the movable type carrying member to prevent the cutting action of the platen unless one of the lines of type is in proper printing position under the platen. I

3. In a check-protectingdevice, the combination with a. platen having diagonal cutting lines thereon, of a typecylinder having a plurality of lines may be brought into pr nting position beof type, any one of which i I neath said platen, said lines of'type having I diagonal grooves therein corresponding to .the diagonalcutting edges of the platen,

and means engaged by an integral part of the typecylinder and by the platen to prevent the latter from being brought into engagement with the type. cylinder unless a line of type is in proper position under the platen so thatthe diagonal grooves therein will properly register with the diagonal cutting edges in the platen,

4. In a check-protecting device, the com 'bination with a cylindrical typ' Wheel, of

a member having a toothed face rotatable with said type wheel, a -reciproc'ating memher having a V-shaped- .portion adapted tofit into the valle between the teeth on the first-named mem er, and a'platen for pressing a check against any one of the lines of type on said type cylinder, said reciprdcatmg member being engaged by said platen before the check is'pressed against the type unless said type wheel is properly positioned for printin 5 In ac eclr-protecting'device, the combination with type, of a platen adapted to press a sheet of paper against said type and a plunger in cooperativefrelation with the type adapted to raise the paper to prevent the type whenever the type is not properly placed in printing position. r

6. In a check-protecting device, the com-' bination with type, of a platen having a cut ting face and two plane smooth faces, one at each end of the cutti g face, and stops be-' neath the smooth fac the check lying between the smooth faces and the stops.

7. A platen for check-printing machines having a plane sm'ooth face at each end and a rough cutting face therebetween, all of said faces being in substantially the same the platen from pressing the paper against' the type when the type are out of proper -alining position, and also for preventing the platen from striking the type with undue force when the type are in proper alinin'g 10 position;

J. A platen for cheek-protecting machines having two faees for engagement with the check, one serving as a cutting face and the other as a stopping face, the latter being smooth to prevent cutting the check. 15

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16 day of Jane A. 1)., 1914.

EDMUN l) ()CUMIAUGH.

'itnesses HENRY J. PLANT, S. E. Mosunn. 

